Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Quote of the day
While reading through the AP (aquaponics) forums this morning I came across this from Vlad. It made me laugh. Vlad has a way of hitting the nail right on the head. This was in response to a questionable ad -
"...Well, OK maybe it's even a bit less hokey...somebody please just shoot me in the fucking head if I ever start rambling about how some overly priced, energy intensive AP system is going to feed some poor backwater village in the middle of the African desert...I mean it's nice for middle class white folks to have a 'feel good' hobby and all, but when folks use the very real and legitimate suffering and misfortune to tug at the heart-strings of Mr. and Mrs. Jones of Lakewood in order to sell them something...it kinda gets my goat. Sorry for the rant..."
Vlad and I are on the same page concerning AP. Quoting Vlad again (sic) "Aquaponics is a romantic attraction".
You may wonder where my allegiance lies. This is of course a blog about aquaponics. I do like aquaponics, but it's not the only way to garden (Bioponics or Wicking beds may better suit your needs), and by no means is it cheap or as easy as some would have you believe.
A well managed AP system can out perform a soil based garden, but well managed is the crux of the matter and the term that requires definition.
In any case don't let the lure of technology lead you into grand ideas of easy profits and abundant crops of fish and vegetables. It may not be rocket science, but it is a science that requires a fair amount of attention.
"...Well, OK maybe it's even a bit less hokey...somebody please just shoot me in the fucking head if I ever start rambling about how some overly priced, energy intensive AP system is going to feed some poor backwater village in the middle of the African desert...I mean it's nice for middle class white folks to have a 'feel good' hobby and all, but when folks use the very real and legitimate suffering and misfortune to tug at the heart-strings of Mr. and Mrs. Jones of Lakewood in order to sell them something...it kinda gets my goat. Sorry for the rant..."
Vlad and I are on the same page concerning AP. Quoting Vlad again (sic) "Aquaponics is a romantic attraction".
You may wonder where my allegiance lies. This is of course a blog about aquaponics. I do like aquaponics, but it's not the only way to garden (Bioponics or Wicking beds may better suit your needs), and by no means is it cheap or as easy as some would have you believe.
A well managed AP system can out perform a soil based garden, but well managed is the crux of the matter and the term that requires definition.
In any case don't let the lure of technology lead you into grand ideas of easy profits and abundant crops of fish and vegetables. It may not be rocket science, but it is a science that requires a fair amount of attention.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Micro Greens
Today I purchased a Sure To Grow pad and seeds for a salad mix.
I will follow the instructions as detailed in the videos at Growing Microgreens.com.
This is the first of seven. They also sell seeds at a very fair price.
Below is a commercial farm.
At this point (4 days) these radish sprouts in the Bio-Char taste pretty good. Two days later they began to loose their bite.
At this point (4 days) these radish sprouts in the Bio-Char taste pretty good. Two days later they began to loose their bite.
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| 2013-01-04 |
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| 2013-01-04 |
The Sure to Grow sprouts above have been growing for 3 days and have been exposed to light for just 2 hours
Here they are two days later.
Here they are two days later.
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| 2013-01-06 |
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| 2013-01-06 |
They are not ready but they taste good. I'm keeping them covered with a clear plastic dome and continuing to spray twice daily with clean water. The sprouts in the Bio-Char are past their prime as sprouts. I'll thin them out and let them grow into radishes.
I like the way these guys grow without the mat in the bottom. This produces a product that does not require trimming and there is no added cost of the mat.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Bio-Char
Jon Parr recently wrote that he was replacing his grow media with Bio-Char. This has really caught my attention.
UPDATE:
Justin sent me a link to yet ONE MORE method of creating Bio-Char.
This method may produce something different than the charcoal I used in my experiment. In the video above at 7:15 Dr. Hugh McLaughlin shows the super fragile nature of the Bio-Char made using his method. The difference I see between his system and others is the insulation from an outer barrel creates a higher temperature burn. The other videos below don't appear to show the end product as being this fragile, and Dr. McLaughlin seems to make the point about only the mere wisp of the wood remaining. I can tell you this is much different than the Lazzari Charcoal I bought. But I don't know which is better as a grow media. This looks like it would turn to dust if you tryed to plant in it.
Ditectly below is a presentation by Peter Hirst of New England Biochar, I'm willing to believe he knows what he's talking about, but still wonder if this process might be too fragile for aquaponic grow media
Today (12/28/2012) I purchased 40# of 100% Natural Mesquite Charcoal, and built a small system
Below is my experiment. In the video I refer to a post on my blog. This is the post I refereed to.
The water's pH went from 6.8 to 8.0 when I added the charcoal. I'll leave the pH alone until this little system is cycled. 24 hours after adding the first dose of humonia the ammonia remains unchanged at 1.0 ppm.
After some research I found several posts and sites I would like to share with you about this ancient soil-building method .
This first video is less than 3 minutes long and describes the benefits and history
Here is a quotes from a forum on AquaponicsNet
To begin you may wish to watch this very simple demonstration before watching the next videos which take the production of Bio-Char to a higher level. Bryan McGrath offers some good advice at the end of video about adding microbes.
Byran's other videos also appear to be very interesting and worthy of the time it takes to watch them
Each of these methods differ slightly. Each video below is is just a little more complex than the last.
This video shows in good detail a more sophisticated method which uses a retort process to produce even more Bio-Char using the heat from the TLUD (Top Lift Up Draft). .
This site offers an excellent video about making Bio-Char using a rocket stove. It's called Hornito, and it has the ability to continuously make batches of Bio-Char without stoping.
Unfortunately he offers no plans and has failed to reply to many requests for more information. But putting together our knowledge of Rocket Mass Stoves I believe we have enough information to duplicate this highly efficient process.
UPDATE:
Justin sent me a link to yet ONE MORE method of creating Bio-Char.
This method may produce something different than the charcoal I used in my experiment. In the video above at 7:15 Dr. Hugh McLaughlin shows the super fragile nature of the Bio-Char made using his method. The difference I see between his system and others is the insulation from an outer barrel creates a higher temperature burn. The other videos below don't appear to show the end product as being this fragile, and Dr. McLaughlin seems to make the point about only the mere wisp of the wood remaining. I can tell you this is much different than the Lazzari Charcoal I bought. But I don't know which is better as a grow media. This looks like it would turn to dust if you tryed to plant in it.
Ditectly below is a presentation by Peter Hirst of New England Biochar, I'm willing to believe he knows what he's talking about, but still wonder if this process might be too fragile for aquaponic grow media
Today (12/28/2012) I purchased 40# of 100% Natural Mesquite Charcoal, and built a small system
Below is my experiment. In the video I refer to a post on my blog. This is the post I refereed to.
 |
| 5 days later |
The water's pH went from 6.8 to 8.0 when I added the charcoal. I'll leave the pH alone until this little system is cycled. 24 hours after adding the first dose of humonia the ammonia remains unchanged at 1.0 ppm.
After some research I found several posts and sites I would like to share with you about this ancient soil-building method .
This first video is less than 3 minutes long and describes the benefits and history
Here is a quotes from a forum on AquaponicsNet
I have been using charcoal in my grow beds since I started doing AP about 4 years ago. I have posted on the old forum about it. I buy cheap bags of charcoal sold for barbecue fuel. It is natural charcoal, no additives. In various sized lumps.
I decided to try it after seeing a Chinese aquarium shop using lumps of charcoal in their fish tanks and claiming it was very beneficial beyond its known role as a filter medium.
I used about half and half, charcoal and gravel (the stuff sold here to make concrete) and have also mixed it with Hydroton ( a bit scarce here )
The results have been very good. Water quality has always been good and after two years, excavated a grow bed to find everything fairly clean. There has been very little breakdown of the charcoal. I imagine that some black fine particles have made their way through to the bottom of the GB but I notice there is more sediment from the clay balls and from fish food or solid waste than there ever is from the charcoal.
So, from my experience, I would say go ahead and try charcoal. It is light and easier to clean than gravel and should be cheaper if you can find a source. Easy to find here as all the Chinese supermarkets sell huge bags of it.
Lastly, I have found that charcoal placed around the base of plants helps to keep away slugs and snails. I guess they don't like the surface, a bit like in a dirt garden you can use ash around plants to keep snails off.
I haven't tried 100% charcoal as a medium, simply because the charcoal I get is very irregular in size and shape so I usually throw it into the GB first and put gravel or clay on top. Some of the charcoal tends to find its way to the surface eventually though.
I will be trying a charcoal trickle filter soon as I have a couple of spare 100 litre barrels that contained pool chlorine. I think charcoal should make an excellent filter.
PS I'm not an expert on this so if anyone has good reasons why charcoal shouldn't be used or bad experiences, please post.
Dave
Way back when I first started into AP I made up a charcoal filter by filling a 20 ltr plastic drum with charcoal from the hardware store.
After a few months it became really blocked with solids.
It did a super job of filtering.
I have often intended to make a very large one to add into the loop just before the water enters back into the fish tank, a kind of trickling charcoal filter, but have not got around to doing it.
Adding it to the GB's as Dave and Ian have done is something I had not considered.
I believe it would be an excellent thing to do.
Dave has clocked up a few years of operational experience using it in his beds so it a reasonable proposition that it can be used with confidence.
(soon there will be biochar manufacturing plants in backyards across the globe)
Aquaponics "SECRETS" DVD available HERE
My Website
Visit My Blog
"The greatest fine art of the future will be the making of a comfortable living from a small piece of land." Abraham Lincoln
To begin you may wish to watch this very simple demonstration before watching the next videos which take the production of Bio-Char to a higher level. Bryan McGrath offers some good advice at the end of video about adding microbes.
Byran's other videos also appear to be very interesting and worthy of the time it takes to watch them
Each of these methods differ slightly. Each video below is is just a little more complex than the last.
This video shows in good detail a more sophisticated method which uses a retort process to produce even more Bio-Char using the heat from the TLUD (Top Lift Up Draft). .
This site offers an excellent video about making Bio-Char using a rocket stove. It's called Hornito, and it has the ability to continuously make batches of Bio-Char without stoping.
Unfortunately he offers no plans and has failed to reply to many requests for more information. But putting together our knowledge of Rocket Mass Stoves I believe we have enough information to duplicate this highly efficient process.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Rob Bob
Rob Bob has quite a nice YouTube channel devoted to gardening. He offers good descriptions, and smart ideas. Above is 10 minute video about his Wicking Bed design. Take a look at the other interesting videos.
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| Scarecrows Clear View Wicking Bed |
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Toxic
There are several areas where toxicity should be considered. Here are some questions to ask about the materials we use in our systems.
Is our personal health compromised while working with a material?
Will toxins pollute our food?
Is it toxic to our fish?
Is it detrimental to the plants?
Working with epoxy, or cutting, and heating OSB, Polystyrene, ABS, PVC all pose some degree of toxins so some precautions should be used during fabrication. Most of the time our nose will let us know right away. For example melting ABS is so toxic that it becomes nearly impossible without the proper precautions. Other materials like OSB or pressure treated wood may not trigger an acute response, but long term exposure to sawdust can cause injury.
Epoxy and silicon caulking and PVC solvent fumes are detrimental to our health, so precautions should also be used while working with them. After these materials cure the danger to us, our fish and plants diminishes to a level most would consider safe. Silicone caulk comes in Type 1 and Type 2. For our purposes Type 1 should be used because it is considered fish safe after it cures and is allowed to out gas.
Pond liners such as EPDM rubber, polyethylene, fiberglass, and polypropylene are safe for both fish and humans. Some people have used vinyl billboard material, but even when purchased new, this material can leach toxins. Here is a link to more information about pond liners
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): These liners are highly flexible, easy to work with and are UV stable if they are not exposed to direct sunlight. PVC liners last for about 10 years or more but are less resistant to freezing temperatures. But the safety off flexible PVC is suspect. As Vlad has explained to me; (let me directly quote) plasticizers can and do leech out over time and make their way into our blood streams. Some of them are particularly nasty type of toxins. (Of coarse, those are the cheapest and most often used...again, particularly in the US). Here is a generic introductory wiki link on the topic that touches on some of the many health and safety aspects of pthalate plasticizers... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): HDPE liners are made from a tough thermoplastic substance that is safe for fish and plants. These liners are inexpensive and can last for up to 15 years. HDPE liners are the least flexible and do not work as well in colder climates. HDPE liners are generally less expensive than PVC liners.
Butyl Rubber: Butyl rubber liners are UV-resistant and last approximately 20 years. Some butyl liners can be toxic so do your research if you plan to have fish in your pond. Although somewhat flexible, these liners are thick and tough to fold at corners and curves.
Fiberglass: Fiberglass liners cost much more than flexible liners and are not as natural looking. Before setting a fiberglass pond in the ground, it is critical to use a thick layer of brick sand to pack under and around the pond. This information came from Home Depot
EPDM comes in different forms, Some is intended for construction industry and then there is EPDM for ponds. The difference as far as I can tell is that pond liner has been allowed to out gas by laying it out in the sun, but I may be wrong. Use THIS LINK for more information on the wide variety of liners
Copper and galvanized pipe may not be toxic to us, but it should be avoided when fish water recirculates in your system. Even your choice of heater element should be stainless steel in order to avoid poisoning your fish. I questioned this at first because our water supply often travels through metal pipe. The difference is that we are recirculating our water and the pH of this water is generally lower than the supply.
Plants depend on minerals for their growth and iron deficiency is a common problem in aquaponics. The use of Portland cement in a fish pond or limestone in your grow bed will cause your water to maintain a high pH and thus deprive the plants of bio available iron. Not all iron products are the same. Look for an Fe-EDDHA or Fe-DTPA product (chelated iron that is bioavalable to plants). For more about this topic refer to this discussion
v
Is our personal health compromised while working with a material?
Will toxins pollute our food?
Is it toxic to our fish?
Is it detrimental to the plants?
Working with epoxy, or cutting, and heating OSB, Polystyrene, ABS, PVC all pose some degree of toxins so some precautions should be used during fabrication. Most of the time our nose will let us know right away. For example melting ABS is so toxic that it becomes nearly impossible without the proper precautions. Other materials like OSB or pressure treated wood may not trigger an acute response, but long term exposure to sawdust can cause injury.
Epoxy and silicon caulking and PVC solvent fumes are detrimental to our health, so precautions should also be used while working with them. After these materials cure the danger to us, our fish and plants diminishes to a level most would consider safe. Silicone caulk comes in Type 1 and Type 2. For our purposes Type 1 should be used because it is considered fish safe after it cures and is allowed to out gas.
Pond liners such as EPDM rubber, polyethylene, fiberglass, and polypropylene are safe for both fish and humans. Some people have used vinyl billboard material, but even when purchased new, this material can leach toxins. Here is a link to more information about pond liners
"Pliable Vinyl was a bad choice for the water treatment industry, and water delivery systems (there's a reason it was banned for use in those applications... leaching of tetrachloroethylene, a really fun chemical) and it hardly seems like such a great choice for a re-circulating food production system.EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer): EPDM rubber performs well in colder climates. This highly flexible liner also resists air pollution and has a lifespan of 20 years. EPDM is also non-toxic to plants and fish and is stable when exposed to UV rays.
Sure, mechanically it will work for a while (as long as you get a good one...btw, fun fact: calcium levels in your water can and does apparently affect vinyls pliability), but why someone would want to use even a 'virgin' vinyl liner in AP, let alone one rubbed down with things like ethyl ketone, silk screened, and set out to bake in the sun for a while, is beyond me.
IMO (as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer) pliable vinyl in all its forms, seems like a really poor choice for such an application. There is a reason vinyl is called "the poor mans plastic". Both mechanically, as well as chemically it is an inferior product. There are not many plasticizers commonly used that will form a co-valent bond with vinyl, which is why they will leach over time. And is why vinyl is slowly being either outright banned, or voluntarily dropped from use (by industry) in many products/applications. "- Vlad Jovanovic
LINK to Forum
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): These liners are highly flexible, easy to work with and are UV stable if they are not exposed to direct sunlight. PVC liners last for about 10 years or more but are less resistant to freezing temperatures. But the safety off flexible PVC is suspect. As Vlad has explained to me; (let me directly quote) plasticizers can and do leech out over time and make their way into our blood streams. Some of them are particularly nasty type of toxins. (Of coarse, those are the cheapest and most often used...again, particularly in the US). Here is a generic introductory wiki link on the topic that touches on some of the many health and safety aspects of pthalate plasticizers... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene): HDPE liners are made from a tough thermoplastic substance that is safe for fish and plants. These liners are inexpensive and can last for up to 15 years. HDPE liners are the least flexible and do not work as well in colder climates. HDPE liners are generally less expensive than PVC liners.
Butyl Rubber: Butyl rubber liners are UV-resistant and last approximately 20 years. Some butyl liners can be toxic so do your research if you plan to have fish in your pond. Although somewhat flexible, these liners are thick and tough to fold at corners and curves.
Fiberglass: Fiberglass liners cost much more than flexible liners and are not as natural looking. Before setting a fiberglass pond in the ground, it is critical to use a thick layer of brick sand to pack under and around the pond. This information came from Home Depot
EPDM comes in different forms, Some is intended for construction industry and then there is EPDM for ponds. The difference as far as I can tell is that pond liner has been allowed to out gas by laying it out in the sun, but I may be wrong. Use THIS LINK for more information on the wide variety of liners
Copper and galvanized pipe may not be toxic to us, but it should be avoided when fish water recirculates in your system. Even your choice of heater element should be stainless steel in order to avoid poisoning your fish. I questioned this at first because our water supply often travels through metal pipe. The difference is that we are recirculating our water and the pH of this water is generally lower than the supply.
Plants depend on minerals for their growth and iron deficiency is a common problem in aquaponics. The use of Portland cement in a fish pond or limestone in your grow bed will cause your water to maintain a high pH and thus deprive the plants of bio available iron. Not all iron products are the same. Look for an Fe-EDDHA or Fe-DTPA product (chelated iron that is bioavalable to plants). For more about this topic refer to this discussion
v
Monday, December 17, 2012
Annoying Abusive Scam
This is a recent comment to one of my blog posts. I expect this 'person' will quickly delete his comment so I'm re-posting it, and my response here for all to see. There are some people who are making money off aquaponics that I truly respect. This guy 'Gaurav Joshi' is not one of them. I advise you not to even click on anything that sends you to Aquaponics4You.com.
Aquaponics4You.com appears to me as a malicious site that traps your browser. The company has now stooped to posting ads on blog sites related to aquaponics. Is trapping browsers, and spamming blog sites a practice of any reputable company? I believe Gauray Joshi's business 'Aquaponics4You.com' is an Annoying Abusive Scam.
2 comments:
I want to take this opportunity to tell my readers to stay away from you. I find your advertising techniques obnoxious, and I expect the products you push are worthless. Take your get rich schemes elsewhere. People like you disgust me.
Do us all a favor and take down your "Aquaponics 4 You.COM" site and go away.
Some of us are spreading GOOD advice and guess what - we do it for free.
DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Hugelkultur
Water is becoming a scarce commodity. Aquaponics is one way to grow with less water.
Here is a another brilliant alternative for dirt based farming.
Michael Pilarski's Food Forest - Closed Canopy Gardening
I love the enthusiasm and wild variety of plants Michael shows us in his food forest
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Permies Blog
Here's a blog I found today while researching Rocket Mass Stoves. I liked it and thought you might too. Permies.Com
Paul Wheaton has put a lot of work into finding the most creative yet practical methods of living well, and leaving a small foot print.
I highly recommend watching his many videos which are often conducted like an interview to extract the most valuable information. He does a wonderful job of editing and creates inspiring documentaries on a wide range of topics helping to create a better world.
Paul Wheaton has put a lot of work into finding the most creative yet practical methods of living well, and leaving a small foot print.
I highly recommend watching his many videos which are often conducted like an interview to extract the most valuable information. He does a wonderful job of editing and creates inspiring documentaries on a wide range of topics helping to create a better world.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Seed Savers
Here's a link to Seed Savers. David Chrstoph was kind enough to link me to this great resource on my othe blog Fibonacci-Financial.
http://www.seedsavers.org/
http://www.seedsavers.org/
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Mike McGroarty
This is not really aquaponics, but I've been following Mike McGroarty for years. He is a treasure trove of information about how to make money gardening on a residential sized lot by cloning plants . He holds plant sales in his front yard, and brings in a lot of cash doing what he loves to do.
I believe many of us feel the same way about aquaponics. These Emerald Green Arborvitae
will only grow about 6" per year and take up a fair amount of real estate, which is why these bushes fetch a handsome price, but it's Mikes ideas like this that continually inspire me to work towards my goal to produce a product I can sell.
You too may wish to subscribe to Mikes newsletters and videos.
Here are all of Mikes Videos
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Prop 37
Prop 37 is more than a California Proposition!
We have a right to know. California's vote can change the way our nation labels food.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Automation and Data Logging
Link to KickStarter
Just imagine what this could do for your aquaponic system.
Android Compatible
Monitor and Log Data for these and more:
Android Compatible
Monitor and Log Data for these and more:
- pH
- Dissolved Oxygen
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Light Intensity
- Color
- Liquid Level
- Pressure
- Barometer
- Altimeter
- Carbon Monoxide
- Chlorine
- Ozone
- Nitrogen Dioxide
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- Methane
- Propane
- Alcohols
- Intrusion Detection
- Plus inputs for Analog or Digital data from other external devices!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
A Vital Movement
I'm having fun, and watch my nutrient levels like a hawk. I feel
obligated to do this because these vegetables are
expensive.
The one thing the aquaponic experience has done for me is give me a much greater appreciation for the food I buy at the grocery store. While I'm delighted to eat a fresh tomato even if a worm has put a small hole in it; I would not buy that same produce at the store.
I think about it every time I shop at Costco. Enormous quantities of perfect produce everyday. People are always bad mouthing current farming practices, but when it comes down to it, the commercial production of food is a lot more difficult than most people realize.
Aquaponics has been around for a long time, but it seems that it's only now beginning to catch on. With droughts and population explosion I feel that our experimentation, and sharing of information is contributing to a vital movement toward small household food production which will help carry many of us through rough times. Some of us may go on to create commercial systems which will take agriculture back to a less destructive method once we understand the problems we are likely to face, but we are all making a collective difference.
Aquaponics is not without fault as it does tend to influence the genetic makeup of the fish we are breeding. But it may also help to relieve the stress of over fishing.
So I look at my $3000.00 tomato, and know that it's not about that tomato, but a contribution to the greater good, and enjoyment of creating my own food.
The one thing the aquaponic experience has done for me is give me a much greater appreciation for the food I buy at the grocery store. While I'm delighted to eat a fresh tomato even if a worm has put a small hole in it; I would not buy that same produce at the store.
I think about it every time I shop at Costco. Enormous quantities of perfect produce everyday. People are always bad mouthing current farming practices, but when it comes down to it, the commercial production of food is a lot more difficult than most people realize.
Aquaponics has been around for a long time, but it seems that it's only now beginning to catch on. With droughts and population explosion I feel that our experimentation, and sharing of information is contributing to a vital movement toward small household food production which will help carry many of us through rough times. Some of us may go on to create commercial systems which will take agriculture back to a less destructive method once we understand the problems we are likely to face, but we are all making a collective difference.
Aquaponics is not without fault as it does tend to influence the genetic makeup of the fish we are breeding. But it may also help to relieve the stress of over fishing.
So I look at my $3000.00 tomato, and know that it's not about that tomato, but a contribution to the greater good, and enjoyment of creating my own food.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Fun tattoos
Here's a fun link to science tattoos.
These are a few related to aquaponics, chemistry, and Fibonacci
These are a few related to aquaponics, chemistry, and Fibonacci
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| Fulvic Acid |
Monday, July 16, 2012
Loss of Appetite
UPDATE 8/9/2012
I know it must seem like I'm always correcting myself with these updates, but I'm documenting the learning experience and attempting to pass on knowledge as I learn it. Many times it appears that I have understood the problem at the time, but as more information appears this changes on occation.
A few days ago I found small red worms, and at first thought they were Camallanus, but it turned out to be Midge. Midge is a great food for fish, and it was only after transferring my fish to the raft so that I could better care for them that I figured that out. The fish have not shown the excitement they used to show when fed, and I wonder if this is because they were feeding on Midge worms, and have become spoiled. Simple fish food must seem tasteless to them now, and I suspect this is the reason for their lack of appetite.
ORIGINAL POST:
For about six weeks my fish have not been eating as aggressively as they used to.
They have been showing signs of breeding, and I attributed this to the loss of appetite.
But it was about the same time I added Dr Iron iron chelate.
The iron made the water quite brown, and I also observed some algae on the walls of the tank, and in the water which I attributed to warmer weather.
So the cloudy water did not concern me, and my assumption remains that iron chelate is not harmful to the fish, but it's definitely not to be dismissed.
The Iron Chelate level has dropped from 0.5 ppm to 0.1 ppm over the past three weeks. Today I bumped that up again with 60ml of Dr Iron .
Before the fish began to loose their appetite I began to allow the salt levels to become depleted in an effort to see what affect if any a 0.15% salt level has on plants.
I let the salt level drop to zero over the course of a couple months. That experiment was trashed when a leak developed in my grow bed, and I had to remove all the media and plants.
The bacteria took a small hit but I was able to preserve, and restore the bacteria within a few days by using a small wet/dry bio filter.
Two days ago I began to bring the salt levels back up since I have very few plants left in the grow bed to experiment with. I'm now using this system for starting seeds and growing outdoors in my other system.
After bringing the salt up to only 0.9% the water cleared the fish began to eat better.
I'll continue to watch the fish to see if their appetite continues to improve, but since I have several variables going on I'm still trying to figure out what it is that caused the loss of appetite. It might be simply salt levels, but I feel that there is more to it than that. Maybe there was enough algae in the tank to keep them satisfied. I'm also pretty sure they are also eating their young even though I have tried to provide a safe areas for the fry to escape into.
I added FE2 today, so I should be able to tell if this is the cause or not. I'll update this post as I learn more.
UPDATE July 22, 2012
After adding the FE2 on July 16 the water became dark again. The fish seemed to feed a little less aggressively, but they did not ignore the food like before. A week later they are eating better. Dr Iron contains Phosphate 5%: Potash (K2O) 8%; Iron (Fe) 8% so there are other ingredients beyond FE2 and it may be that this may be causing the fish to temporarily eat less.
I know it must seem like I'm always correcting myself with these updates, but I'm documenting the learning experience and attempting to pass on knowledge as I learn it. Many times it appears that I have understood the problem at the time, but as more information appears this changes on occation.
A few days ago I found small red worms, and at first thought they were Camallanus, but it turned out to be Midge. Midge is a great food for fish, and it was only after transferring my fish to the raft so that I could better care for them that I figured that out. The fish have not shown the excitement they used to show when fed, and I wonder if this is because they were feeding on Midge worms, and have become spoiled. Simple fish food must seem tasteless to them now, and I suspect this is the reason for their lack of appetite.
ORIGINAL POST:
For about six weeks my fish have not been eating as aggressively as they used to.
They have been showing signs of breeding, and I attributed this to the loss of appetite.
But it was about the same time I added Dr Iron iron chelate.
The iron made the water quite brown, and I also observed some algae on the walls of the tank, and in the water which I attributed to warmer weather.
So the cloudy water did not concern me, and my assumption remains that iron chelate is not harmful to the fish, but it's definitely not to be dismissed.
The Iron Chelate level has dropped from 0.5 ppm to 0.1 ppm over the past three weeks. Today I bumped that up again with 60ml of Dr Iron .
Before the fish began to loose their appetite I began to allow the salt levels to become depleted in an effort to see what affect if any a 0.15% salt level has on plants.
I let the salt level drop to zero over the course of a couple months. That experiment was trashed when a leak developed in my grow bed, and I had to remove all the media and plants.
The bacteria took a small hit but I was able to preserve, and restore the bacteria within a few days by using a small wet/dry bio filter.
Two days ago I began to bring the salt levels back up since I have very few plants left in the grow bed to experiment with. I'm now using this system for starting seeds and growing outdoors in my other system.
After bringing the salt up to only 0.9% the water cleared the fish began to eat better.
I'll continue to watch the fish to see if their appetite continues to improve, but since I have several variables going on I'm still trying to figure out what it is that caused the loss of appetite. It might be simply salt levels, but I feel that there is more to it than that. Maybe there was enough algae in the tank to keep them satisfied. I'm also pretty sure they are also eating their young even though I have tried to provide a safe areas for the fry to escape into.
I added FE2 today, so I should be able to tell if this is the cause or not. I'll update this post as I learn more.
UPDATE July 22, 2012
After adding the FE2 on July 16 the water became dark again. The fish seemed to feed a little less aggressively, but they did not ignore the food like before. A week later they are eating better. Dr Iron contains Phosphate 5%: Potash (K2O) 8%; Iron (Fe) 8% so there are other ingredients beyond FE2 and it may be that this may be causing the fish to temporarily eat less.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Swimming With The Fish
I hope to set up a small pool this summer. I would like to incorporate what I've learned about water chemistry and create a natural swimming pool with plants and fish rather than chlorine or salt.
Click Here for a Slideshow of Beautiful Natural Pools
Here is one of my favorite videos
Here's a report about the added value to a home with a pool. Notice the 1000 to 2000 square foot range.
Click Here for a Slideshow of Beautiful Natural Pools
Here is one of my favorite videos
Here's a report about the added value to a home with a pool. Notice the 1000 to 2000 square foot range.
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| Go Figure |
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Now, today I am gonna tell you about all the benefits of Aquaponics